THE GRANDSON of a Second World War Canadian pilot buried in Pershore Cemetery is making a special visit to the town to attend Remembrance Day services.
Ryan Murdoch and his wife will be attending the long-standing Armistice Day Service taking place in the town’s cemetery on Wednesday (November 11).
A representative of the Royal Canadian Air Force will lay poppy wreaths at the Cross of Sacrifice along with local veteran organisations and civic leaders, in the service organised by Pershore and District Branch Royal British Legion.
Ryan’s grandfather was Air Gunner Sergeant Alton O’Neil, who was killed on November, 9 1943 when a Wellington Bomber crashed in Rowney Green near Alvechurch, on its way back to RAF Pershore from a routine training exercise.
The site of the crash was located in 1982 by Midland Aircraft Recovery Group and in October 2007, Alvechurch Ex-Services Association held a service on the site, dedicating a maple tree and plaque to the memory of the five members of the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) who died in the crash.
The crew are remembered every year on November 9 when the association holds a service at the memorial tree and in 2012, Alton’s nephew Charles Baker represented the O’Neil family at the service together with members of the Pershore and District RNA.
